The present invention relates to firearms and more specifically to slide action (pump) and autoloading shotguns. All centerfire firearms produce recoil, which has been a concern for both competitive shooters and hunters. Shotguns larger than 410 and 28 gauge produce significant recoil typically causing “flinching”, loss of correct shooting technique, and shoulder fatigue; with a decrease in marksmanship. This is especially true for skeet, trap, five stand, and sporting clays shooters, who may shoot 50, 75, 100, or more shells in a single day.
Shotgun target (clay pigeon) shooters use various accessories with their shotguns to reduce recoil. Recoil pads, muzzle brakes, barrel porting, mercury recoil suppressors, choke tubes with porting, etc. are examples of accessories.
It is common knowledge among competitive shooters and hunters that heavier shotguns have less recoil “kick” than lighter shotguns using the same ammunition. Weights have been added to shotguns by target shooters to reduce recoil and to change the balance of the gun. This shotgun magazine weight invention was specifically designed and made for Remington model 870, 1100, and 11-87 shotguns, for the purpose of adding weight to reduce felt or perceived recoil.
Related art consists of U.S. Pat. No. 2,635,378 to George E. Pinckney and Philip R. Haskell for a magazine plug for firearms. Their invention was made of a steel rod placed in a magazine tube which reduced magazine capacity for federal migratory bird hunting. It also added weight to a shotgun for more favorable recoil characteristics.
Related art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,310,982 to Jack L. Kast and Edgar J. Young for their invention of a magazine spring retainer and cap detent system. Their invention had the dual function of retaining the magazine spring in the magazine tube and to keep the magazine cap securely tightened.
More related art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,650,060 to Donald R. Schubert for his inertial recoil reducer for magazine firearms which includes a weighted piston interposed between a cushioned magazine follower and the magazine spring. That invention was to reduce the recoil of the gun.
Other related art includes U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,136 to Jesse B. Edwards for his invention of a shotgun counterbalance. His counterbalance invention included at least one weight on a threaded shaft below a shotgun barrel to compensate for any imbalances within the shotgun by distribution of weights.
Additional related art includes U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,050 to Ken Kagehiro for his invention of a shotgun recoil reducer. His recoil reducer consists of a cylinder tube with a slidable weighted piston assembly attached to the end of a magazine tube. Pressurized gases from the gun barrel push the piston assembly rearward against the spring, causing the gun to recoil forward partially offsetting the rearward recoil.